Mantelpiece, wainscoting, face-plate, or slab for covering walls, ceilings, or the like.



. PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904. D. ROHM. MANTELPIEOB, WAINSGOTING, FACE PLATE, 0R SLAB FOR COVERING WALLS, GEILINGS, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1901.

4 SHEETSSHBET 1.

H0 MODEL.

No. 774,783. PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

D. ROHM. MANTELPIEGB, WAINSOOTING, FACE PLATE, 0R SLAB FOR COVERING WALLS, GEILINGS, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18. 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N0 MODEL.

' No. 774,783. PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904. D. ROHM. MANTBLPIEGE, WAINSGOTING, FACE PLATE, 0R SLAB FOR covmme -WALLS, GEILINGS, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1901- 4 SHEETSSHEET' 3.

N0 IODEL.

l l v Q No. 774,783. PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

D. ROHM. MANTELPIEOE, WAINSOOTING, FACE PLATE, OR SLAB FOR COVERING WALLS, CEILINGS, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1901.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

Vl'llll N0 MODEL.

Patented November 15, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID ROHM, OF NUREMBERG, GERMANY.

MANTELPlECE, WAINSCOTING, FACE-PLATE, OR SLAB FOR COVERING WALLS, CElLlNGS, OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 774,783, dated November 15, 1904.

Application filed May 18, 1901.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID ROHM. architect, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at 7Bergstrasse, in the city of N iiremberg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mantelpieces. Waiuscoting, Face-Plates, or Slabs for Covering I/Valls,Ceilings,ortheLike, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to the construction of facing-plates consisting of frames which allow of being joined to each other and of being easily separated for the purpose of forming mantelpieces or incasements or other lining or facings and coatings of walls and ceilings.

The invention comprises, essentially, two kinds of frames which are connected to each other by springs and guide-holes and by hooks and guide-pins, both kinds of frames being covered with tiles or small plates, slabs, or the like, so as to constitute lining or facing plates. In the case of facing or lining plates for walls and ceilings the said frames are provided with locking means which operate in a manner similar to spring-buttons and which in this case consist of slotted springs and guidepins, the frames or pieces of frames being provided with guide-holes and hooks and being fastened to the walls. By unlocking the locking device so that the frames may be disconnected from each other I am thus enabled to manufacture any kind of sectional facing in the workshop, so as to dispense with the usual dust and dirt caused by building up of mantelpieces at the place of their permanent erection and with the attaching of tiles or small slabs to the walls by means of cement-mortar.

My invention is shown on the accompanying drawings by way of example, on which' Figure 1 is an inside elevation of a framing as constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an inside elevation illustrating the means of attaching corner-pieces. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the entire frame with two pairs of connections for two corner-pieces in accordance with Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showinga pair of coupling members as applied to acorner-piece. Fig. 5rep- Serial N0- 60,961. (No model.)

resents a detail of Fig. 4L, but in the disconnected position. Fig. 6 is another detail of a coupling member according to Fig. 4. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the attachment of tiles, slabs, or the like to the frames. Fig. 9 illustrates other means for detachably connecting the sections of the framing.

The invention comprises, broadly, two sets or sections of frames, one of which is provided with hooks and which for the sake of gravity may be termed hook-frames, while the other set or section of framing to be united theretois provided with springs and may therefore be termed spring-frames. Both sets or sections of frames are detachably secured to each other by suitable coupling members secured to the frame-sections and which are held in engagement by spring action.

In the drawings the frames consist, for instance, of flat iron bars a and b, the parts a being angle-pieces or the like for connecting the side parts 6 of the frame, particularly in case the horizontal parts of the frame are angularly shaped, as shown in the drawings. For other bands and stays employed in connecting the parts of the frames rectangular or other similar shape is preferred for most purposes. The hook-frame is marked it, while the spring-frame is marked f. In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 to 6 the vertical stays of the framing 72 are provided with hooks 7L and with guide-pins m, Figs. 3 and 5. These are attached to the angle-irons m, secured to the framing.

The spring-frames f are provided with flat springs f, which are slotted at o. likewise to engage with the hooks it. In Figs. 1 to 6 the combination of the horizontal stays of the spring-frame f is shown connected to the vertical bars 2. The guide-pins m of one frame or section of frame-say of the hookframe enter guide-holes (Z, provided for their reception in parts a and a respectively, of the other frames. In order to allow the hooks h of one frame to pass through the vertical bars .2 of the other frame, slots are provided in these bars, as shown in Figs. 4 5 6. The engagement and disengagement of the parts that is to say, the movement of the springs is effected by a handle 1 or by pressure on the button 70. which is secured to the bar .2 of the spring frame, which button on being depressed immediately disengages the slotted springs from their books.

Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show a two-armed lever s, which is fulcrumed at about the center. This lever s is provided at its extremities with broad extensions, which fit into the recesses of the two barsz of the opposite spring-frames f. A spring 0 causes the lever s to remain in engagement with .2, while by depressing the button b, provided on the other end of the said levers, the connections are at once re leased from each other, so as to allow of disconnecting the frames.

In the drawings Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the hook-frames are shown as provided with hooks h at each side, which are able to connect them on both sides with the spring-frame. The hooks are arranged in pairs, the hooks of one side being turned upward, while the hooks of the opposite side are turned downward. The downwardly-eXtending hooks enter the slots 7) from above, while the upwardly-extending hooks of the other side enter the slots from below. By depressing the button 70 the springframe is released from the hook-frames l1, connected at the opposite side, and this frame may be removed. Separate guides, showing guide-holes (Z, are provided in the springframes for the pins m.

My invention may be used not only for mantel pieces and other kinds of incasements, but it may also be applied to horizontal walls, as Well as floors, ceilings, and the like, as illustrated as an instance in Figs. 7 and 9 of the drawings. In Fig. 9 the framing is shown as a finished lining both attached and in a detached position. In this construction I make use of a sliding rod .2, to which a lever 1 is connected, that is fulcrumed at r on a transverse bar of one of the frames, which bar is not shown in the drawings. The extremities of this rod 2 are connected to the slotted springs f which are secured to one of the frames-the spring frame-each of said spring-frames in this form of construction being also provided with the guide-pin m which engages with guides m m in the corresponding hook-frame, in which there is also provided the hook 703, with which engages the slotted spring f As regards the fastening of the tiles or slabs to the frames, this may be effected in any convenient manner, but so as to prevent spoiling their appearance and to insure an even surface.

the tiles to the frames of the incasement-plates for wall-covering is shown in the sketches, Figs. 7 and 8, Fig. 7 illustrating the fastening of the tiles to horizontal frames for ceilings and floors, while Fig. 8 shows the way of securing the tiles to vertical frames. In this A very convenient way of fastening construction I provide transverse bars 9 in the frames and between the side bars Z). To

I these transverse bars 9 the tiles p are secured by means of clips or cramps o 71 attached to the back of the tiles in any convenient manner.

The frames are either placed loosely against or near the wall, and for this purpose they are provided with a suitable broad base part or leg portion, or one or more sections of the framing are securely fastened to the wall or floor by bolts, hooks, cramps, or the like, and the other sections are then detachably connected to the said stationary section or sections by engagement of their respective coupling members, as above described. The knob X), handle y, or crank or other disconnecting means has to be placed so as to be easily reached. Thus they may extend to the outside beyond the surface of the framing, or access to the said disconnecting means may be had by removing one or some of the tiles or slabs 10.

It is obvious that by my invention I am enabled to secure wall-coverings in a very simple manner both to walls as well as for use in the building up of mantelpieces and the like. The whole structure may be previously made up in a factory ready for use and whenever desired. After one section of the frames has been secured to the walls all the frames are erected, which interlock with each other and are thereby retained in position.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. Adevice for mountingtiles,slabs or other kinds of coverings on walls or the like comprising in combination two series of frames, springs on one of the said series and interlocking devices engaging with the said springs on the other series, means to guide the frames relatively to each other and means to attach the tiles or wall coverings to any of the frames.

2. Detachable wall-coverings comprising a suitable framework made in two sections, one of the sections being provided with hooks, slotted springs on the other section to engage with said hooks, guide rods or pins on one of the sections engaging with guides on the other section, rods connecting the springs and means to operate said rods and the springs connected therewith. I

3. In a detachable wall-covering or the like tiles, slabs or the like, a framework in detach able interlocking sections and clips or cramps on the back of the tiles or slabs to secure the same to the detachable framework, substantially as described. I

4:. The combination in a sectional wall-covering of hooks secured on one series of sections and springs on the other series of sections to engage with said hooks and means to guide the sections relatively to each other.

5. The combination in a sectional wall-cov- IIO ering of a sectional framing, hooks on some of the sections of said framing, spring-pressed engaging or coupling devices on the other secof said frames and corresponding guideways on the other frame and means to raise and to depress said springs.

7 In a sectional wall-covering the combination of a set of frames, hooks and a springpressed lever on one of said frames, slotted Springs on the other frames and connecting means between the free ends of said springs, hooks or recesses on said connecting means to engage with the free ends of said lever and means to guide the frames relatively to each other.

8. In a sectional wall-covering the combination with a set of frames of a spring-pressed lever on one of said frames, a set of oppositely-turned hooks in line with the ends of said lever, a set of angularly-shaped spring members on the adjoining frames and connections between the free ends of said members and diametrically opposite said spring members, scribed.

9. In a sectional wall-covering the combispring slots in substantially as denation with a set of rectangular frames of hooks near the corners of some of the frames, the hooks on one side of the frame being turned opposite to the hooks of the other side, angularly-shaped slotted spring members on each of the adjoining frames, the spring members on each corner of the intermediate hook-frame being alternately provided with horizontal and with a combination of horizontal and vertical slots, the hooks of the intermediate frame engaging with the inside of one set of angular spring members and means to guide the frames relatively to each other.

10. In combination in a sectional wall-cov ering an intermediate frame, oppositelyturned sets of hooks on said frame and guidepins parallel to said. books, a spring-pressed operating-lever, the free ends of which are in line with said hooks, lateral adjoining frames and springs on said frames connected in pairs to engage with said hooks and recessed angular pieces on said springs to engage with the free ends of the operating-lever and guides on said lateral frames for the pins of the intermediate frame, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID ROHM.

' Witnesses:

GEORG DIETZ, OSCAR BocK. 

